Craig Washka knew he wanted to be a pilot from the day he saw his first airshow at age 12.
“I was hooked,” Washka recalled. “I started saving my money and read everything I could about flying.”
For the next 34 years, Washka followed his dream from flight training to a degree in aviation technology, and then on to Air Continental and AirNet, where he flew bank checks and other high-priority freight around the U.S.
But life took an unexpected and devastating turn when, at age 46, he was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis, which can cause intense fatigue, vision problems, and weakness in the limbs, among other symptoms. His flying career, which he had worked so hard to build, was over.
Through it all though, Washka has kept an irrepressibly positive attitude, using his wealth of experience to counsel younger pilots while also raising funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through its Bike MS events. While he can no longer participate directly in the MS ride in his home state of Ohio, set to take off this weekend, he will appear as the guest of honor at the society’s Dinner of Champions fundraiser in Columbus on August 14.
“It warms my heart,” Washka said of the recognition. “I love being a part of it all. MS is such a devastating disease that I feel it’s important to do whatever I can—raising funds, working with the MS Society—to help find a cure.”
New Career Path
After graduating from Ohio University, Washka joined Air Continental as a freight pilot, then moved on to Ohio-based AirNet, where he worked between 1984 and 2009. He wore various hats there, including as an instructor pilot and check airman, and worked on aircraft like the Piper Aerostar and Navajo and the Learjet 25 and 35.
“I think flying motivated me to be the best you can be,” he said of that phase of his career. “I worked with a lot of great people and learned a lot of valuable lessons.”
In 2004, shortly after flying a check flight in Dallas, he found himself struggling to climb a set of stairs. He didn’t know it yet, but he had flown an airplane for the last time.
While MS made it impossible to continue working as a pilot, Washka stayed on with AirNet and became the carrier’s director of pilot recruitment and development. The position gave him the opportunity to interact with young pilots just starting their careers, and he dispensed advice earned in his piloting years.
“They treated me like gold,” Washka said of AirNet. “I had my own office at Rickenbacker. And I had built up all of these relationships over the years, so I was perfect for the job.”
Looking back, he describes this period as the “pinnacle” of his experience in aviation. He treasured his role as a counselor and confidant, and his enthusiasm for the work led to a new position with the Future and Active Pilots Alliance (FAPA), which provides professional development services and connects pilots and recruiters.
His advice to trainees and beginners has stayed the same over the years—get as good of an education as possible, focus on a specific role in the industry, and understand the corporate culture at the airlines.
“I’d ask them, what kind of flying do you want to do?” he said. “You’d be surprised. A lot of them had never asked themselves that before.”
Washka has taken a leave of absence from FAPA due to the progression of his condition, but his spirit and tenacity have made a lasting impression there.
“A pilot career frequently requires fire in the belly to weather the hard times,” said FAPA President and CEO Louis Smith. “Even MS could not put out his fire. Craig is truly an amazing man.”
Riding For A Cause
In 2009, Washka became involved with the MS Society and its Bike MS events, which in Ohio runs 150 miles from Cleveland to Sandusky and back.
By that time he could no longer pedal a bicycle, but he researched hand-powered cycles, got one, and started training on it. He practiced alongside a group of local runners, and they used straps to pull him up hills. He replicated that formula with a small circle of family and friends on his first Bike MS ride, and after that they returned to the event each year as a team, dubbed “Craig’s Crankers” after his cycle’s hand crank.
Washka’s commitment to the cause made him a familiar face in the MS fundraising community, and more people joined his riding team as they learned his story. Within Bike MS, he’s still known affectionately as “Captain.”
In total, Washka hand-cranked about 16,000 miles and personally raised over $270,000 for the MS Society.
“It was a wonderful experience,” he said. “I have such fond memories.”
While his team continues to participate in Bike MS, Washka had to step away from the ride in 2018 as he lost strength in his arms and hands.
“I got weaker, not stronger,” he said. “That’s what MS will do.”
Washka said he probably will not be able to attend Bike MS as a spectator this year, but he will do everything in his power to get from his home in Granville to Columbus for the Dinner of Champions event. He sees the night as a chance to celebrate how far he’s come.
“My goal is to keep looking forward,” he said. “You can’t sit there and say, why me? You’ve got to keep moving.”
Those interested in donating to the MS Society through Bike MS can do so on Washka’s team page, and through the Dinner of Champion’s fundraising site.
